Liturgical Colors

The colored ribbon at the top of the page reflects the liturgical day

The Christian liturgical calendar is divided into seasons, each with its own character and traditional color. These colors appear on vestments, altar hangings, and other church furnishings throughout the year.

We display a colored ribbon below the header to indicate the current season or holy day. Here are the colors and their meanings:

Purple (Violet)

Seasons: Advent and Lent

Purple signifies penitence, preparation, and royalty. During Advent, we prepare for Christ's coming; during Lent, we prepare for Easter through fasting and self-examination.

Gold (White)

Seasons: Christmas and Easter

Gold and white represent joy, purity, and the glory of Christ. These colors mark the two great feasts of the Christian year: the Incarnation at Christmas and the Resurrection at Easter. White is also used for feasts of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, confessors, and All Saints.

Green

Seasons: Epiphany and Trinity (Ordinary Time)

Green symbolizes growth and life. It is used during the "ordinary" seasons of the Church year—the time after Epiphany and the long season after Trinity Sunday—when we grow in faith through regular worship and study.

Red

Days: Pentecost, Apostles, Evangelists, and Martyrs

Red represents the fire of the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost) and the blood of the martyrs. It is used for Whitsunday and for the feasts of the Apostles, Evangelists, and other martyrs who gave their lives for the faith.

Rose

Days: Gaudete Sunday (Advent III) and Laetare Sunday (Lent IV)

Rose is a lightening of the penitential purple, used on two Sundays when the Church pauses to rejoice in the midst of the preparatory seasons. "Gaudete" (Rejoice) and "Laetare" (Be joyful) come from the opening words of the day's liturgy.

Black

Days: Good Friday

Black is the color of mourning, used on Good Friday to mark the death of our Lord upon the Cross. It is a day of solemn fasting and meditation on Christ's sacrifice.

The Church Year

The liturgical year begins with Advent (four Sundays before Christmas) and moves through the following seasons:

  1. Advent — Preparation for Christmas (purple; rose on Advent III)
  2. Christmas — The twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany (gold)
  3. Epiphany — From January 6th until Septuagesima (green)
  4. Pre-Lent — Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima Sundays (green)
  5. Lent — Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday (purple; rose on Lent IV; black on Good Friday)
  6. Easter — Easter Day through the eve of Pentecost (gold)
  7. Whitsunday — Pentecost (red)
  8. Trinity — Trinity Sunday through the Saturday before Advent (green)

Holy Days

Throughout the year, fixed and moveable holy days are marked with their appropriate colors:

  • Red for martyrs and apostles: St Stephen, Holy Innocents, St Paul, St Matthias, St Mark, SS Philip & James, St Barnabas, St Peter, St James, St Bartholomew, St Matthew, St Luke, SS Simon & Jude, St Andrew, and St Thomas.
  • Gold/White for feasts of our Lord (Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Trinity), the Blessed Virgin (Purification, Annunciation), St John the Evangelist, St Michael, and All Saints.

On the calendar, holy days are indicated with a small colored dot beneath the date.